OCR Text

Southern Illinoisan (Newspaper) - December 4, 1974, Carbondale, Illinois
010175 PUBLICATION Of NCI 710 N Illinois 1113 Walnut 212 N 14th Murphysbero Herrln 82No 293lSe a Copy 48aetlen to Frtf Frta Htrrln Journal Murphysbore lixieptndjnt WEDNESDAY DEC 4 1974 CarbwidaltHwrlnMurphyibort Chiropractor slain at oft ice in Marion ERROR Should be Williamson County Sheriff Russell Oxford By OK Walley Of The Southern UJinoisan Dr Donald R Ripley 38 Marion chiropractor was found shot to death at his office about am today Williamson County Coro ner James R Wilson said Dr Ripley was shot at least four times with a 45 caliber wea pon Its murder Sheriff Rus sell Oxford said Wilson said he was shot twice in the back once through the jaw and once in the left arm A patient found Dr Ripleys body lying face down in a hall way leading from his office to a reception room Slugs were found in a wall in the office A salesman two women and one male patient were in the waiting room at the office 1825 W Main Stwhen the tele phone began ringing for a leng thy time Wilson said Bill Johnson 912 Johnson St Marion a patient apparently familiar with the office after jprevious visits to the chiropractor open ed the door to go answer the telephone When he saw the body he called police Dr Ripleys expensive wrist watch and a diamond ring were on his desk Wilson said the shooting was apparently not a robbery attempt The weapon used in the shooting was not found in the office Dr Ripleys wife Gloria was not at the office although she operates The Break Away an interior decorating business in the same building and the couple usually come to work together Dr Ripleys office opened at am 2200 SIU vets get benefit hike Washington AP About 2200 men at Southern Illinois University at Carbon dale will receive a 227 per cent increase in GI education benefits according to Ron Hubbs coordinator of the SIU C Veterans Office The increase became possi ble Tuesday when Congress overrode President Fords veto of a bill increasing most GI education benefits Hubbs said the average sin gle veteran now in school will receive to more than he presently is receiving Vet erans are expected tt get of their added money in about 15 days Charles Fuhrhop service of ficer for the Dlinods Veterans Commission in Murphys boro estimated between 5000 and 6000 veterans would be affected by the increase in Jackson and Williamson counties and adjacent areas Spokesmen for the Veterans Administration in Chicago and the lUinods Veterans Commis sion in Marion said they have not received official confirma tion of tha increase They de clined toestimate how many downstate veterans will receive increases Thevotes Tuesday were far above the twothirds majority needed to enact the bill over Fords objections 394 to 10 in the House and 90 to 1 in the Senate Assistant GOP Leader Robert P Griffin of Michigan cast the lone Senate vote to back Fords veto It was the fourth of Fords 15 vetoes overriden The House failed Tuesday to override another Ford veto The vote of 249 to 150 in favor of override was 17 votes short of the re quired twothirds The bill would have provided million tax benefits to victims of several natural disasters The Veterans Administration has for months been keeping its computers geared to rush out the bigger checks for some 15 million veterans receiving benefits under the education program The higher are retroactive to September and VA officials said the back increases are scheduled to in checks the veterans should get in about 15 days VA official said the first regular monthly payment with the new increases would be in the January checks The bill increases monttily payments for fulltime institu tional training from to for a single veteran from to for a veteran with one dependent and from to with two dependents The rate for each dependent over two is raised from to The bill contains many other liberalizing features including allowing Reservists and Na tional Guardsmen to count towardbenefits their six months of initial active duty for training provided they later serve on active duty for 12 months or more Authorities this morning were trying to locate her The couple has three children Marion police the sheriffs office Illinois Bureau of In vestigation agent and patholo gist Dr AN Thompson were called Investigators immediately began a doortodoor check of the homes in the residential area around Dr Ripleys office Deputy Sheriff Harry Spil ler said no one heard shots or saw anything unusual in the neighborhood this morning Dr Ripleys chiropractor of fice was in the basement and her decorating business on the first floor of a converted house Ron Suddath stores carpets for his business in the building A group including Suddath have a band which practices at the building Tuesday nights Don Ridgley a band mem ber said no one noticed any thing unusual last night Dr Thompson estimated Dr Ripley had been dead about three hours at about am Wilson said Oxford said a resident saw Dr Ripley arrive at his office shortly after 7 am in a camp er truck he drives Oxford said Dr Ripley took one of his sons to school at am Oxford said Mrs Ripley had not been found at and it is possible that she was kid naped by the person who shot Dr Ripley Suddath had not been found this morning by authorities The body was removed from the building about noon and taken to Herrin Hospital where Dr Thompson was to perform an autopsy The Ripleys live southeast of Marion on the old Creal Springs Road Tape shows Nixon objected once fo paying burglars Washington AP As assistant prosecutor at the Watergate coverup trial today cited 12 references in a March 21 1973 White House con versation to paying money to Watergate burglars and then noted that only once did then President Richard M Nixon gay it would be wrong And said Assistant Prosecutor Richard Ben Veniste it was clemency not paying hush money that Nixon said would be wrong I will readily concede there are a number of references to money and a million dollars there was con siderable exploration in the area said former White House chief of staff H R Haldeman one of the participants in that conversa tion Haldeman who is a defen dant in the coverup trial maintained that Nixon said it would be wrong in connection with both clemency and money The exchange took place on Haldemans1 third day of cross examination by Ben Veniste Meanwhile US District Judge John J Sirica announced he would rule Thursday on whether Nixons testimony must be obtained before the trial can end Under questioning by Ben Veniste Haldeman conceded that after more careful review of the March 21 tape there is no question now in my mind that the point of clemency in tervenes between the money matter and its wrong But he added it was his belief when he testified before the Senate Watergate committee that Nixons comment referred to the money rather than clemency BenVeniste then referred to notes Haldeman took when he reviewed the March 21 tape a month after the conversation took place Your notes clearly reflect that passage clemency you cant do money you can do Thats right Haldeman replied And then he explained his interpretation is that Nixon meant both clemency and money would be wrong Finally Haldemans lawyer John J Wilson stood up and asked Are we trying Mr Nixon here or Mr Haldeman Mr Haldeman replied BenVeniste I really dont know said Sirica Three courtappointed doc tors who examined Nixon and his medical records last week reported that the earliest he could give a deposition would be Jan 6 Sirica has said he expects the trial to be conclud ed before Christmas Jury indicts six legislators Chicago AP Fifteen persons including seven current or former state legislators were indicted today by a federal grand jury in a payoff scheme for legislation increasing state road load limits The indictments charged that various members of the ready mix cement industry set up a cash fund to be paid to legislators upon passage of the legislation The bill passed both houses of the General Assembly but was vetoed in August 1972 by former Gov Richard Z Ogilvie The government accused six current legislators and one 15 named in conspiracy fo change law former state senator a former attorney for the Illinois secretary of states office and members of readymix industry of participating in a conspiracy and mail fraud scheme Named in the indictments were Rep Robert Craig 53 ol Danville cosponsor of the bill Sen Kenneth W Course 80 of Chicago member of the Senate T ransportation Committee Sen Jack E Walker 65 Lans ing Senate floor sponsor of the bill former Sen Donald D Carpentier 47 of East Moline who was a member and vice chairman of the Motor Vehicle Laws Commission Rep Louis F Capuzi 54 of Chicago a former member of the House Motor Vehicles Committee Rep John F Wall 51 of Chicago chairman of a House committee on registration Rep Frank P North 47 of Rockford member of the Motor Vehicle Laws Commission and a cosponsor of the legisla tion Last scheduled work week Legislative pay raise plan awaits General Assembly Dale Lovelacfrtand Coroner James Wilson help carry victim body Photo by Tom Porter New coal pact still has slim majority Charleston W Members of the United Mine Workers were concliuding their voting today on a now contract as unofficial tabulations in dicated a slim majority in favor of the pact UMW officials said no official voting figures would be releas ed until Thursday when Presi dent Arnold Miller has scheduled a news conference to announce the decision of the 120000 union members An unofficial Associated Press tabulation of scattered returns showed today that with 26200 votes counted 13165 or 502 per cent were voting for the contract and 13035 against However sources In Washington said today that as of Tuesday night the union had counted 47963 ballots with 27117 votes for ratification and 20846 votes 565 per cent against Miller has predicted the con tract will be approved by a60 per cent majority but the partial unofficial returns in dicated it would be closer The contract which Miller calls one of the finest in the history of organized labor would provide a 64 per cent increase in wages and benefits Springfield AP The Illinois General Assembly returned today for its final scheduled work week and what may be its last chance to vote pay hikes for legislators A bill to boost legislative salaries from to a year is one of several con troversial items awaiting ac tion Republican sources said it is unlikely the Senate would pass the legislative salary bill in its current form Attempts probably will be made to reduce the increase these sources said They added that even with a lower salary boost it is not at all certain the rrieasure will pass in The pay raise measure pass ed the House last spring after its sponsor Rep Charles Fleck RChicago said he was assured by the governors of fice that the bill would be signed Two weeks ago Walker said the economic situation had changed and that it was time to be prudent about state spen ding There was no quote agreement at that time Walker said when questioned about his pronouncement made last spring He refused to say whether he would veto a pay hike for law makers saying he wanted to view the total spending picture after the fall session Another pay raise measure one for judges also awaits ac tion in the Senate If the Senate were to alter the details of the pay bills the House would have to approve the changes before the measure could be sent to the governor Other measures that could be acted on this week include mo tions to override the governors reduction in the size of the cost of living grants for welfare recipients and the size of pay hikes for state employes under his control from 10 to five per cent The legislature approved a a month pay hike for some 50000 state employes and Walker cut that increase in half The House may also consider this week a measure to provide an average of 60 to in tax refunds for persons over 64 who make less than a year Index PARTLY CLOUDY Classified Comics TV Bridge Crossword Editorials Family living Records Sports Weather details map 2727 35 45 68 3031 911 30 Partly cloudy and warmer tonight low in the lower or mid 30s Thursday partly sunny and warmer high in the upper 40s or low 50s Buzbee may not vote on Demo leadership i rrt tTip By Richard H Icen LindsaySchaub News Service Springfield Prerogatives were spoken about Tuesday by Sen Kenneth V Buzbee of Carbondale as he talked of a meeting called for tonight by Senate Minority Leader Cecil Partee of Chicago to organize the Democratic Senate majority for the two year session beginning Jan 8 He has the prerogative to call the meeting and I have the prerogative not to vote Buzbee said Im not saying Im going to do that But the prerogative is there Buzbee is one of the nine Democratic senators who sent a telegram to Partee last week protesting his decision to hold a caucus to nominate the party candidate for Senate president a month before the opening of the session I have no ideawhats going to happen when we meet another of the protestors Sen Terry L Bruce of Olney said I have my idea of what ought to happen We ought not to Bruce Buzbee and the others believe the vote should be delayed until Democrats discuss fully such matters as rules and procedures and committee assignments They also want assurances Downstate members will be included in all policy discussions A significant number of us feel that its time for change not necessarily a change in leadership but a change in the way we operate Bruce said We just cant go on the same way the next two years as we have the last two We just cant Many Democrats had no idea Partee had scheduled the caucus until it was mentioned by a Republican William C Harris of Pontiac currently Senate president during a series of routine an nouncements on the floortwo weeks ago There is a feeling on the part of many Downstate Democrats that Partee and the Chicago Democrats tend to be much too secretive The Democrat caucus tonight is one of three scheduled to resolve leadership contests for the upcoming session Senate Republicans will decide a con test for minority leader between Harris and Sen Harris W Fawell of Naperville House Republicans will also try to elect a minority leader from among several announced candidates among whom the leaders are believed to be Reps James Washburn of Morris and John Hirschfeld of Champaign House Democrats are ex pected to meet the day before the opening of the session in January in an effort to resolve party disputes over the election of a speaker There were reports Tuesday that Rep Gerald Shea DRiverside a spokesman for the Daley organization has withdrawn from his unannounced can didacy for speaker which may leave the field fairly open for current House Minority Leader Clyde L Choate of Anna Partee is believed to have more than a sufficient number of the 35 Democrat votes to win nomination as president in caucus even if the nine withhold their votes in pro test However election as presi dent of the Senate requires a majority on the floor 30 of the 59 members Unless Partee is able to accommodate the May lose committee chairmanship Congressman Mills considers retirement Washington StarNews Arid Associated Press Washington Rep Wilbur D Mills hospitalized for what his friends believe is exhaustion and strain is considering retiring from Congress Capitol Hill sources say Mills the Houses most in fluential figure and chairman of its most powerful committee reportedly discussed retire1 merit withsome of his Ways and Means Committee col leagues yesterday morning That was shortly before he entered Nfval Medical in suburban Bethesda Mdv reportedly exhausted and facing moves to strip him of his committee chairmanship was reported in satisfactory condition today in hospital If he does resign the seat to which Arkansas voters re elected him last month a special election presumably would be held to pick a suc cessor Even if Mills decides not to quit it is now clear that he no longer will be chairman of the and Means Committes House sources laid be was nojt expected to return to work anytime during the remainder of the current session and ar rangements apparently have already been made to replace him as chairman in January Rep Richard D Fulton D Tenn a member of Mills committee as well as a member of the House leaderships Steering and Policy Committee said he will propose the committee Democrat Rep Al Ullman off as chairman Fulton said he was confident bis move would suc ceed dissidents the Democrat ma jority could be defused by fac tional squabbles the next two years Buzbee and Bruce are among a number of Downstate Democrats competing for an extra majority leadership position available A third contestant Sen Sam Vadalebene of Edwardsville originally signed the telegram but later withdrew his signature Another candidate is Sen Robert W McCarthy of Decatur a close friend of Partee McCarthy originally said he would accept the job only if it were offered to him by Partee but has since made a formal bid Rep Al Ullnwn Rep Wilbur MilU DArk
;